1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to means for use in hospital emergency rooms and the like for allowing a backboard with a patient supported thereof to be positioned on a gurney and for allowing typical X-ray cassettes to be accurately positioned and adjusted beneath the patient without requiring the patent to be removed from the backboard.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
In a medical emergency, a patient who may have a spinal injury or the like is normally secured to a backboard to insure that the patient's spine is maintained substantially immobile as the patient is transported to a hospital, etc. Once at the hospital, it is normally desired to take a plurality of X-rays of the patient to verify if any damage has occurred to the patient's spine, etc. Currently, such a patient is either transferred from the backboard to an X-ray table or other support for allowing X-rays to be taken using an X-ray machine, or raised somewhat off the backboard to allow an X-ray cassette to be placed beneath the patient so that X-rays can then be taken while the patient remains on the backboard.
A preliminary patentability search conducted in class 378, subclass 177, and class 5, subclass 601 produced the following patents which appear to be relevant to the present invention:
Daniels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,565, issued Jan. 10, 1978, discloses a premature infant immobilizer and holding assembly for the nursery and radiological exposure.
Russ, U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,148, issued Mar. 18, 1980, discloses a transparent radiation penetrable stretcher panel.
Hayton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,364, issued Mar. 24, 1987, discloses an X-ray cassette holder for a trauma stretcher.
Barr et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,418, issued Aug. 7, 1990, discloses an emergency trauma board having dual, spaced apart main frames.
Vogl, U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,758, issued Oct. 13, 1992, discloses a portable device for facilitating the performance of radiographic procedures.
Nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests the present invention. More specifically, nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests an apparatus for use in combination with a gurney, an X-ray transparent backboard and an X-ray cassette for allowing the backboard to be coupled to the gurney and for allowing the X-ray cassette to be coupled to the backboard, and including an elongated body having a first end, a second end, a lower side for engaging the gurney, and an upper side for supporting the backboard; and slide means coupled to the body for holding the X-ray cassette and for allowing the X-ray cassette to be moved back and forth along the body so that X-rays can be taken of a patient supported by the backboard without requiring the patient to be moved relative to the backboard.